


Popularity Isn't Everything

by whitedandelions



Category: How to Get Away with Murder
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-21
Updated: 2014-11-21
Packaged: 2018-02-26 13:12:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2653226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whitedandelions/pseuds/whitedandelions
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Connor never wanted to fall in love.  He was supposed to be that untouchable boy that everyone wanted, but could never have.  But no matter what he does, he can’t stop falling in love with Oliver Hampton.  HIGH SCHOOL AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Popularity Isn't Everything

 

Title: Popularity Isn’t Everything  
Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing.  
Summary: Connor never wanted to fall in love.  He was supposed to be that untouchable boy that everyone wanted, but could never have.  But no matter what he does, he can’t stop falling in love with Oliver.  HIGH SCHOOL AU.

* * *

Connor spent years building up his reputation to where he was now.  He used to be that scrawny little kid that people looked down on in middle school, but when high school started, he had promised to change.  He joined the soccer team, subsequently grew a foot, and filled out in a way that was attractive to both men and women.   He started to study diligently, even deciding to apply for a law school after he graduated college.  

And he was dating the most eligible girl in the school: Michaela Pratt.   Of course, they weren’t _actually_ dating.  

Why?

Well, because Connor was irrevocably and absolutely _gay_.

He wasn’t stupid.  He was pushed into lockers left and right in middle school by footballers who threw around the word ‘faggot’ like it was candy.  When he decided to change his social status in high school, he knew he would have to hide the fact that he would much rather the hard lines of a man than the soft curves of a woman.

Luckily, his best friend Michaela had offered to be his beard.  She cared more about books than men, and was, in his opinion, too good for any of the men in high school anyway.  And they spent enough time together as friends that they could pass off as a couple.  

Connor secretly wondered if this would be him for the rest of his life.  Many people already said they could see him as the President, and their words continued to haunt them long after they had been spoken.  He had seen the show ‘Scandal’; he didn’t want to be trapped in a loveless marriage.

But still, high school was going perfect for him.  It was his senior year and he was going to make the most of it.  He was going to win the tourneys for his soccer team and win Prom King at the end of the year.

And he was going to forget the stupid, _silly_ crush he had on Oliver Hampton.

* * *

He saw Oliver on the first day of high school.  They had P.E. together and the first time Connor had seen Oliver taking off his shirt, he had run face first into his friend’s open locker door.  When he had recovered and Oliver had his shirt back on, Connor was still smitten.

The glasses and the nerdy shaggy black hair that fell over his eyes more often than not were a sure combo to make Connor’s heart beat faster.  

Connor tried not to make his crush too obvious.  He was always cautious to pick Oliver second when he was Captain of a team and he utilized every ounce of his willpower not to partner up with Oliver when they were doing their stretching exercises.  Connor wasn’t sure if would be able to keep his hormones in check if Oliver bent over and showed him his bum.

Oliver never noticed his crush; no one did.  He tried his best to shamelessly flirt with the girls in the P.E. class; most of the girls thought he was charming so none of them were offended by his pick-up lines.  And if the boys noticed any boners that popped up in the worst timing possible, they always assumed it was the girls, and not because Oliver sweaty and panting was the most delicious thing Connor had ever seen in his life.

Michaela hardly sympathized with him.  She was more of a ‘go-getter’ than not, and in her opinion, he was being a coward by not going after Oliver.

Connor really tried to take her advice.  He tried to strike up conversations with Oliver, but they mostly consisted of him looking like a fool.  They usually went something like:

“So, the weather’s quite nice today.”

“But it’s raining.”

“Yeah, but rain!  Rain is good!”

“Erm, I guess it is…”

“Because you know, we’re in a drought and people can die without water.  You know people can go forty days without food, but only three days without water?  Isn’t that crazy?”

“Uh…”

Luckily, his friend had arrived at that exact moment, drawing him into conversation and away from Oliver.

Connor had been absolutely  _mortified_ that day.  He had rolled in his bed thinking about what an absolute fool he had made himself out to be.  It had certainly curtailed his attempts on making nice with Oliver for the rest of the year.  

* * *

The next year they had World History and English together.  It was the first day of school when Connor had caught sight of him, and he had immediately ducked behind Michaela, whispering urgently that _Oliver_ was there.  Michaela had whirled around with a determined glint in her eye, and to his utter and complete horror, seated herself quite primly in the seat next to Oliver.

She introduced herself with quite the devious smile on her face, gesturing quite animatedly at Connor until he had no choice but to make his way over.  

Oliver’s smile was tentative, but _sweet_ , and Connor’s heart skipped a few beats staring at it.  It was only when Michaela subtly jabbed her elbow into his side that he introduced himself to Oliver.  Oliver had laughed, with his eyes twinkling, and said that they already met before in P.E.

If Connor wasn’t smitten before, he certainly was now.

* * *

World History soon became Connor’s favorite class.  Oliver was witty and charming, and Connor found himself exchanging notes with him whenever the teacher wasn’t watching.  Michaela suffered it with a smile, simply passing along the notes in good humor and for once, not berating Connor for not paying attention in class.  

Oliver was everything Connor ever wanted.  He was sickeningly kind, like one of those heroes that stopped to take home stray kittens that were left behind in the pouring rain.  And he was ridiculously intelligent.  More often than not, Connor would be hard pressed to take the #1 rank from Oliver.  And although he complained to anyone who asked, deep down inside, he absolutely adored the fact that Oliver was just as smart as him.

And to be completely honest, Connor had quite the fetish for nerdy boys with glasses.  He would deny it to his dying breath, but Oliver’s glasses featured as the star in many of daydreams.  One of his favorites included Oliver confessing and when Connor accepted, leaning down and going for a kiss.  And then promptly apologizing when he realized his glasses were in the way, and when he took them off - that was the moment that Connor’s heart would always beat a million times faster.

He was falling quite fast for Oliver, and to his dismay, could not find the brakes.

* * *

It was in the middle of the year that everything fell apart.  It was the Sadies Hawkins dance and one girl, nerdy and beautiful, had asked Oliver to the dance. And Oliver had accepted.

Connor was seethingly _jealous_.  He ranted about it for five days straight to Michaela, who had humoured him but had told him to get a grip after she got fed up.  If he really was going to complain so much about it, then why didn’t he do something so Oliver would go with him instead?

But Oliver was straight.  

And Connor was pretending to be straight.

So he swallowed his jealousy, and when he went to go ask Oliver if he wanted to spend the dance with Michaela and him, it was definitely not the question that he had wanted to ask.

* * *

In his junior year, Connor was known as the most popular boy in school.  Michaela and him came out as a couple, and everyone _adored_ them together. People called them the “Power Couple” and talked of them as if they were a single unit.  They were the couple everyone was rooting for.

It was during this time that not only did Connor not have any classes with Oliver, but Oliver also seemed to avoid spending time with him.  

Connor tried, of course.  He texted Oliver good morning and good night texts and every time a movie came out, he would invite Oliver to a movie date.  But when the responses came slower and slower, Connor found himself becoming self-conscious to the point that he stopped sending them.  And when his invitations were rejected, Connor would sulk for days until eventually, he learned better and stopped asking.

They were best friends in sophomore year, but in junior year, they were nothing but acquaintances.  

* * *

Connor knew it was better this way.  He had never wanted to fall in love, after all, and being in love with Oliver wasn’t beneficial to him in any way.  He couldn’t be the most popular boy in the school if he was gay, after all.

But still, no matter what he did, his mind was occupied constantly by Oliver.  Even when they weren’t talking, Connor found his eyes following Oliver whenever they caught sight of him.  During lunch, Connor would find himself walking past where Oliver ate, and although he never stopped by to say hi, he would walk slowly enough that he could drink in what Oliver looked like for the day.  It was embarrassing and totally uncool that he was essentially stalking his former best friend, but Connor couldn’t have stopped even if he wanted to.

Some part of him had decided that Oliver was his soulmate, and Connor couldn’t convince it otherwise.  

It was at the end of his junior year that Connor finally admitted to the fact that he was in love with Oliver Hampton.

* * *

It was the beginning of his senior year that he had made it a pact to forget about Oliver.  

Connor was the most popular boy in the school and everyone wanted him to be theirs.  

And yet, the one person he wanted didn’t want him back.  It was quite depressing if one thought about it; he had spent so much time building up his reputation so he could be what everyone wanted, yet the one person _he_ actually wanted wouldn’t even acknowledge him.

What was former acquaintances slowly turned into frosty bitterness.  Oliver didn’t even say hi back to him anymore and any text he would send to the other would be left without a response.

It was a really trying time for Connor, despite the fact that he should be elated at the fact that he had everything he had ever wanted.

No one made fun of him; they all hung onto his every word.  Adoring masses could be found around him at every break time, and sycophants would sing his praises whenever he got a question right in class.  Football players would never _dare_ to call him a ‘faggot’ anymore and he felt comfortable in his own skin.  His college applications were perfect and his counselor had guaranteed that he could get into any college he wanted.

But despite all this, Connor was truly unhappy.

Because the one thing he really wanted?

Was the one thing he could never have.

* * *

It was the time of the year that every high school senior was asking a girl to Prom.  Some included flowers, others included balloons and cakes.  In the honest truth, Connor was dreading having to ask Michaela to prom.  Everyone was waiting for it because they were the It couple of their high school, and Connor knew he couldn’t disappoint.

But he had become so apathetic about his popularity in high school that Connor found himself struggling to go through the motions every day.  And asking Michaela to prom was going to take a whole bunch of planning that he just didn’t want to do.

It was with this apathetic air that Connor heard something absolutely strange.  A rumour that a boy was asking another boy to prom.  His heart had skipped a beat at that; he had never imagined that someone could be so brave to be Out and let the whole world know that they preferred males to females.  Deep down inside, he felt the jealousy take root as he watched the scene unfold.  The nervous chatter of the boy’s friends as he made his way through the court, the balloons clenched tightly in one fist and flowers in another, and finally culminating when the boy reached his destination.

And Connor’s heart stopped completely when he realized who the other boy was.

Oliver. __

* * *

 

 

He broke out of his stupor in a manner of seconds, immediately storming his way over to the scene, his expression murderous.

The boy who asked Oliver noticed him first, his wide eyes full of shock when he realized who was standing in front of him.  Connor barely spared him a glance, his gaze still fixated on Oliver who had yet to look up from the flowers in his hands.

When their eyes finally met, Oliver’s expression turned into confusion.  “Connor?”

“I - Oliver, you’re gay?”

Oliver’s expression shut down until his mouth was pressed into a single disappointed line.  “So what if I am?  We’re not friends anymore, so it shouldn’t matter to you if I didn’t like girls.  If I was weird and not fitting to be in the popular crowd.”

And although Connor should be trying to console Oliver, all he could feel was happiness and _hope_ that Oliver was like him.

That Oliver had been crushing on him just like he had been for all these years.

A hysterical laugh bubbled out of him to which Oliver had narrowed his eyes at.  “This isn’t a laughing matter, Connor,” he snapped.

Connor simply shook his head, a small, tentative smile on his face as he approached Oliver.  “But Oliver, _I’m_ gay.”

Oliver’s mouth fell open, “Y-you are-?”

Connor cut him off, freely smiling and ignoring the fact that he was probably ripping his reputation into shreds because honestly, this was the one thing he wanted and he was willing to throw away everything to get it.  And if those football players were going to call him faggot and he was going to drop to the bottom of the social food chain for doing this, he found...he really just didn’t care.

Because Oliver was here, in front of him.  And Oliver was gay, which meant he had a fighting chance to have Oliver as his own.

And screw his popularity, because really, there were things that were much more important.

“Don’t you see, Oliver?  I’ve loved you since I first saw you in P.E. and I’ll be damned if I let you go with another guy that isn’t me.”

“But Michaela?” stuttered out Oliver, whose eyes were wide and gorgeous and only made Connor want him more.

Connor laughed, “She was covering for me.  My parents don’t know I’m gay, you know, and well, no one else does except for Michaela, but yeah, it was fake.  People used to bully me for it in middle school, so I decided that no one would know I was gay in high school, but well, I am gay and I decided to accept that.”

Oliver’s eyes had softened, and a smile had taken residence on his face.  “You’re doing it again.”

“What?”

“Connor Walsh,” said Oliver seriously, drawing his hand into his and rubbing soothing circles on it.  “You tend to ramble, did you know that?  But you know what else?   _I_ fell in love with you that day when you rambled to me about the importance of water.”

And Connor’s protests that that day was really the most embarrassing day of his _life_ was muffled by the warm press of Oliver’s lips against his.

* * *

Connor thought the fall-out to his reputation would be horrendous.  But Michaela sorted everything out with an imperious snap of her fingers.  Everyone sympathized with her, saying Connor was the worst kind of man, but she refused to let their words slide.  To anyone who said those kinds of things she would set their views right, and no one was able to win an argument with Michaela.

He was still popular, despite the fact that he was now openly gay and proud and dating the love of his life.  To his surprise, people absolutely _adored_ the two of them together.  Even though Oliver hadn’t been as popular as Connor, it was hardly a secret that everyone thought Oliver was the sweetest boy in the school.  

As such, on the evening of their prom, Connor got the dream that he had been wishing for since high school started.  

But an even better version.

He was still chosen as Prom King, and Michaela as his Queen, but what really mattered to him?

Was Oliver’s laugh when Connor went and playfully put the crown on his love’s head.

And when they slow danced and pressed their lips together, Connor knew he had truly found something that was more important than popularity.

 

 

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, everyone was so nice on my last story! Thanks for the amazing amount of kudos, and hopefully you enjoy this story just as much! I'm really adoring writing stories of this couple ^_^, I'm such a sucker for FWB -> turned into love -> one of them has no clue how much the other one means to him/her kinds of relationships >_


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